#sempertenebris

( bad name choice, man… bad name choice. )

  WEAK ________ the walls around him suffocated his body as though he were dying a second time.   He imagined that the afterlife would be painless, but his neck still ached as though he’d been struck just a second ago ( yet when he lifted his hand to touch the skin, it was closed ____ nothing there that would resemble a gash or a snake’s bite ).    The walls around him were not barren, they were littered with bookshelves from floor to ceiling, scattered glass all across the floor, chairs thrown askew, and outside the windows: blinding light.    Death resembled his personal library, yet he knew it would not be the end when he saw a figure of grace standing amongst the chaos.     He imagined it might have been his mother, Dumbledore even ____ but to see her, he knew it was all his imagination ; just like life, death also had sick way of playing TRICKS.     But even in death, she would have known who he was ; although the dark mark was gone from his skin, it still did not diminish what he had done in his time alive ( what he might have continued to do had he not approached Dumbledore ).  ‘ Some people are DESTINED for one … it might simply be impossible to choose between two paths. Some might say it is … PREDETERMINED. ‘    He dares not utter the dark lord’s name, nor her own, even in the afterlife, for he fears they might still bring unwanted consequences.

  ‘ While our choices are our own, our FATE is … not. I would imagine that is why you are here. ‘

        “Oh Severus.” Joy and sorry flitted across her face; a faint smile at the same time that she looked about to cry. She didn’t glance down once as she picked her way carefully around the debris scattered on the floor, always holding his gaze. Her smile grew slightly as she slipped her hand into his. “There are never two paths. There’s the one we make for ourselves out of the infinite possibilities.” A slight squeeze on his hand. Her smile was fading, but there was still a playful look in her eye as she said, “Who is to say if it is a good or bad path? The world has never been black and white.”